The Better Together Project

The Better Together Project

Health and well-being is best understood in terms of a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors. But how ‘social’ is the biopsychosocial model when applied to mental health and rehabilitation? An integrative psychological approach is required to draw understanding from sociology, social psychology, and politics to consider how wider systemic, structural, and contextual factors impact on health behavior and outcomes. Our Better Together research project is dedicated to examining collective and community approaches to well-being and rehabilitation. In particular, we seek to understand how social integration, social groups, social identity, and social capital influence health, well-being, and rehabilitation outcomes. This research topic is at the intersection of social, clinical, and health psychology. There are a series of linked papers and podcasts all available below.

You can read the full paper on help-seeking amongst university students: the role of group identity, stigma, and exposure to suicide and help-seekinghere

or listen to Michelle Kearns talk about this work below

You can read the full paper on post-traumatic growth in those affected by Brain Injuryhere or listen to Dr. Elaine Kinsella talking about this work below.

You can read the full 'integrative review of social and occupational factors influencing health and well being' here or listen to MaryBeth Gallagher talk about her work below

You can read Dr. Stephen Gallagher's paper on social identity and cardiovascular healthhere and listen to him talk about his work below

You can read the full paper on the beneficial effects of family identification for young people growing up in homes affected by domestic violencehere or listen to Catherine Naughton talk about this work below

You can read the full paper on The impact of anticipated stigma on psychological and physical health problems in the unemployed grouphere or listen to Dr. Aisling O'Donnell talk about this work below.